Thursday, April 28, 2016

The weather is nice, and if you work in an office, everyone is probably itching to get outdoors. Both spring and summer are excellent times to plan a business retreat, and our relaxing, scenic Knoxville event venue is the perfect place to go. There are many fine meeting venues in the Knoxville area, but you won't find anything quite like Country Jewell.

Our facility is a wonderful place for business meetings and off-site work gatherings. We can accommodate up to 100 people in our event space, plus we have lots of beautiful outdoor areas to wander and enjoy. It won't quite feel like work in this charming setting

We offer 3 convenient packages to meet all of the needs for your event. Simply show up and let us take care of the setup and food, or choose to handle those details yourself.

Country Jewell Meeting Packages

SMOKY TOPAZ

Up to 8 hours

Minimum of 25 people, additional charge per person for 26+

Spend the day in a relaxed, stress free country setting! Our spacious barn will be set up and ready for your group. This package includes a delicious breakfast and a satisfying lunch.

COUNTRY CORAL

Up to 4 hours

Minimum of 25 people, additional charge per person for 26+

If you just need a few hours to have a short meeting but want the setting to be relaxed & stress free, this one is for you! We will take care of the setup of our spacious barn for your group! A satisfying lunch is included.

SIMPLY TURQUOISE

Available in 4-hour and 8-hour packages

For those who want to D.I.Y., you can choose between a full day or a half day. Enjoy our quaint, country setting! You will be allowed time to customize the setup of our spacious barn to your exact needs. Bring in your own caterer and enjoy whatever food you like.

Your team will love spending a day in our rustic, quaint, stress-free environment. The next time that you need a business meeting venue in the Knoxville area, give us a call at 865-494-0552, or simply visit www.CountryJewell.com and request information directly from our website. We would love to help you host your next work day right here at Country Jewell.

Friday, April 22, 2016

We have had lots and lots of brides and grooms profess their love for one another at our wedding venue near Knoxville over the years. Some couples decide to go by the book and repeat the words that the officiant gives them to say. Others choose to take the wedding vows into their own hands and add a personal touch to their ceremony by writing their own.

Even when you know exactly how you feel about that one special person in your life, sometimes it's difficult to get those thoughts in order and down on paper. Country Jewell has a few simple steps to make the entire process a little bit easier. Following these tips can help you to produce beautiful words, straight from the heart, to vow to your fiance on your wedding day.

#1 - Check with your officiant.

In this day and age, there is usually no problem with a couple writing their own wedding vows. Still, better safe than sorry. Speak with your officiant and find out any important guidelines you may need to know ahead of time. A few officiants may ask to review your vows before the ceremony.

#2 - Talk to your fiance.

The two of you will want to discuss the format your vows should follow. It can be helpful to you both if you decide on a structure together. Will they be funny, serious, romantic, or poetic? Knowing what your other half has in mind will help you both with the writing process.

#3 - Look at examples.

First of all, start with the classics. Traditional vows may be too old-fashioned for you, but they have all of the important parts in place. Search books and the internet for other sample vows. Use a few that you like the sound of for inspiration when you begin writing your own.

#4 - Love & promises.

Start by reminiscing about how the two of you met and the early days of your relationship. Remember the special moments that you have had together over the years. Use the first portion of your vows to publicly declare why and how much you love the person you are marrying. After that, think about the future you want to make together and the promises you want to make to this other person. It can be a couple of promises or it can be many, as long as they are meaningful and sentiments that you plan to keep.

#5 - Don't procrastinate.

This is one wedding planning task that should be done early in the process. Putting them off for too long puts you at risk of not having them finished in time. If you're not sure exactly where to start, write every single thought in your head down. Write more than you need, then pick out the most important ideas to include from your list. Your wedding vows don't need to be any longer than two minutes. While extremely important, your wedding guests won't appreciate it if they drag on too long. If you have more to say than time allows, write it into a letter that can be delivered to your future spouse on the wedding morning.

#6 - Practice... out loud!

Yes, as silly as it may sound to you, practicing your wedding vows out loud will make it a lot easier for you to get through them on your wedding day. Make sure that your fiance isn't around and start reciting those promises out loud. This is also a great way to hear if they make sense or need a bit of fine tuning.

#7 - Make more than one copy.

Put it all in writing and make a few copies. You will want to have extras just in case you misplace your personal copy. The maid of honor should have a copy of the bride's vows, and the best man should keep a version of the groom's. If you don't want others to read them before the ceremony, deliver them in a sealed envelope, only to be opened if you lose your own. Other good places to stash a copy are the bags you will be taking to get ready, with the officiant, or even with your parents.

Write your vows early and speak from the heart, and you positively can't go wrong. We have heard many different wedding vows spoken at our rustic Knoxville wedding venue, and they were each beautiful in their own special ways. When it's all said and done, you will be ready to spend the rest of your life with the person that you love. Adding a personal touch to your vows is one thoughtful way to make your Country Jewell wedding extra special.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Small, intimate weddings are every bit as special as great big, gigantic ones, and sometimes they are even more special. Our rustic Knoxville wedding venue is perfect for a smaller wedding. Country Jewell can accommodate as few as the bride, the groom, and a couple of friends up to 100 guests for a memorable wedding day.

Even if you know hundreds of people, you may choose to keep this special day between you and your family and closest friends. Small weddings can feature everything that a big one does, but you have the ability to spend more quality time with each of your guests. You can also spend more money on some details when you are providing them for fewer people.

There are many benefits to throwing a small wedding. There are also a lot of great things that you can do to make it extra-special that would be difficult with a larger number of guests.

#1 - Instead of a 1-2 page program, make an entire booklet with details, stories, and photos for everyone to take home as a keepsake. #2 - Go ahead and buy that big guest book, but let your small group know that they each get an entire page to themselves to fill up with wishes, memories, or even drawings. Anything that they would like to share with the two of you. Keep it out during the reception in case inspiration strikes and anyone wants to add more to their page later in the evening.

#3 - If the guest list is small enough, skip the chairs for your ceremony and have your friends and family surround you while you say your vows

#4 - Fewer favors needed means that you can personalize each of them. Instead of giving every guest the same thing, put something at their place setting that they love or has special meaning between you.

#5 - Make an entire weekend of the event. Ask wedding guests to join you for the rehearsal dinner, or host a day-after-wedding brunch to say goodbye and thank you to all of them the next day.

#6 - The receiving line still works beautifully for a small wedding. With fewer guests, no one has to wait in line forever to say hello to the bride and groom. Put a twist on the traditional receiving line and be your own ushers after you say "I do." As a couple, stop at every row of seats and accept your guests warm wishes as they leave the aisle.#7 - Take one big group photo of all of the guests standing around you. You can also ask your photographer to have each group of guests pose for a portrait.

Trying to do the some of these ideas for a large wedding could end up costing you lots of time and money. Small weddings feel much more intimate and often have a greater sense of closeness for everyone in attendance. If you are planning a small wedding, our charming venue is the perfect spot for it. Country Jewell is a scenic, rustic wedding venue full of history and Smoky Mountain charm. We would love to host your family and friends here for your very special day.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

April is Garden Month, which makes perfect since because with everything in nature blooming anew, many are inspired to plant something beautiful of their own. The scenery all around our rustic Knoxville wedding venue is decorated with gorgeous spring colors. This puts us in the mood to think about wedding flowers.

Springtime Flowers

A simple tip to help you stay within your wedding budget is to choose flowers that are in season and will not have to be flown in from far away at a great big extra cost to you. Your florist is the best person to discuss this topic with. They will be able to give you a list of the flowers that are in season for the area, and also offer a few examples for how these blooms may be used. This list of flowers should be available for April and May weddings.

Tulip

Alstroemeria

Lily (Calla, Stargazer, Casablanca)

Delphimium

Gerbera Daisy

Freesia

Iris

Peonies

Ranunculus

Snap Dragon

Sunflower

Rose

Floral Opportunities

Once you pick out the perfect flowers to use at your wedding, you will need to decide where to feature them. Bouquets, centerpieces, aisle markers, arches, in your hair, on the cake, at each place setting... just about every single part of your wedding can include florals. It all depends on your budget and how much you enjoy fresh flowers. You don't have to limit yourself to cut flowers. Local nurseries are full of wonderful hanging and potted plants in the spring. Decorate the containers to fit in with your wedding decor, then take them home afterwards to decorate your house. You can even give them away as favors for the guests or gifts for your bridal party.

Our wedding venue near Knoxville is already beautifully decorated by nature. The lush landscaping and brilliant natural features allow you to spend a little less on decorations if you like. Whether you choose to fill the entire space with every spring flower available, or only a few pretty blooms here and there, a spring wedding at Country Jewell will be a gorgeous experience that you and your guests will remember for years and years.